Effective early warning system for tuberculosis infections

Text: Christina Pfänder

The infectious disease tuberculosis is still one of the most common causes of death worldwide. If infections go unnoticed, there is a risk of the illness spreading – particularly in densely populated areas. To improve tuberculosis monitoring in Ghana, doctoral student Fortress Yayra Aku has become specialised in digital innovations. “It’s about designing a system to track tuberculosis cases so that they can be detected, reported and treated as early as possible,” she explains.

The German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC), one of four DAAD-funded Global Centres for Health and Pandemic Prevention, offers the Ghanaian epidemi­ologist ideal conditions for her PhD work. “I am researching a mobile interactive voice response system that is intended to support the work of voluntary health workers, especially in remote communities with patchy healthcare coverage,” says Fortress Yayra Aku. The algorithm-based system is linked via a computer to a hotline. If villagers suspect an infection, they can use the system to report it. With her research, Fortress Yayra Aku is not only contributing to the World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy: “In the longer term, this digital, community-based approach could also be used to establish an early warning system for other diseases.” –